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My nephew just turned 7 years old. He is autistic, non verbal and seemed to have little understanding of the environment he is in. He has been receiving therapy since 3 years old but there has been no significant overall improvement. My sister is very very discouraged and is questioning whether she should continue with therapy, or just give up. But as his mother, this is a huge struggle for her. What i wanted from my nephew is that he can become a functioning adult, able to take care of his basic needs. But my sis and I are at a loss - what's next, what should an autitstic 7 year old boy be able to do. Pls HELP us to have a rough idea of goals we can set for him and us ↓
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| Name: mondo | Date: Sep 27th, 2006 9:16 PM |
hello,
Please do not be discouraged because each child with Autism is so unique and truly a gift if you look for what he does offer and not what you are looking for only. I have a 19 year old son with Autism, also non-verbal. Your school district should help place him in the right program and then ask about ASL (American Sign language)- it has been a lifesaver for my son when he was exposed to it, he was a sponge to all the signs and this enabled him to INITIATE communication which I think is the biggest obstacle for one who cannot speak.. putting myself in his shoes i can understand the outburst and the frustration he had before he learned signing. I have to tell you however that special children are sent to special parents...don't be discouraged, the tough times come and go but i have learned so much from him that i otherwise would not have had he been 'normal'-- things that make you see life and the world, those around you in another light, one that opens doors to something you may never have brushed upon... I tell you Angels come to us in various ways...:)
and as time goes by, things do get better; if you don't talk with God at this point in your life, start, because you will understand so much more and see your son in a brighter light....:) ↑ |
| Name: mondo | Date: Sep 27th, 2006 9:36 PM |
| PS- sorry about missing your actual question about goals: from what my experience has been with my own son and other i have known along the way, each child reaches goals at a pace.what kind of therapy does he recieve? my son tried speech therapy around age 4&5 but it really didn't help him so we stopped because it was more of a battle than anything else. If you have the opportunity to be at home with your son/nephew teach him the basics every day within a routine (eventhough experts sstress the need for a very structured routine for these kids i find it to be more of a handicap becasue then you are not letting them adapt to our world to any degree)- i think it has its place but also be free to keep it open to impromptu moments because they will come regardless of a carefully planned routine and why not have them accustomed to this since life is indeed unpredictable to a point)-- my son Jonathan was potty trained by age 3-4 and as time passed he learned many daily life needs, some with a unique twist to it but one need only help redirect or allow him to become self sufficient in his own right by giving him the extra tools to accomplish the task (i.e- to get thorugh his toilette every day: use PECSsigning or if he understands when spoken to, prompt him to do the task, coach him until it becomes familiar enough for him to do it with only your telling/signing/etc.)- You could contact The Waisman Center in Madison,WI for specifics on your questions--sorry i don't have their # handy but Im sure you can find them on the web. I used to live in MAdison and they do a lot of research on the topic). gotta go ↑ |
| Name: benbee | Date: Oct 3rd, 2006 3:01 PM |
Hi Mondo
Thanks for taking the time to reply and encourage. God has higher purpose but sometimes it is really heartbreaking to see what my sis and her husband are going thru. It is really a long process of trusting in God cos at the back of my sis' mind is "who will take care of him when they are gone". I suspect my nephew is not just autistic but also mentally disabled. He has gone thru speech therapy, is on special diet, occupational therapy, PEC......... but there is just no improvement. He is in a world of his own, making funny noise in his throat, laughing to himself, rolling about on the floor, not sleeping at nite..... He has been receiving therapy since 3years old, he is 7 now. If he is 100% just autistic, then there should be some improvements but there just isn't. And it has come to a point where my sis is thinking of stopping his therapy and limiting her role to just providing him with 3 meals a day and potty training him. Is this enough ↑ |
| Name: mondo | Date: Oct 3rd, 2006 7:59 PM |
Hi benbee,
i feel for your sister, her husband and nephew bcause it isn't easy; surely his doctor and the school should help your sister in defining what his current level might be and what she should focus on at this age; if they aren't offering the info she should ask for it. One thing that rings true is the need to advocate for these kids, with the schools, doctors, therapists, etc., they may have the credentials but the parents know their kids best and if you see a potential being undeveloped, urge his teachers/therapists to focus on that if anything! Many times there are community resources available for the family to tap into who can help advocate the best possible program for her son. Perhaps she already has, I hope she doesn't lose heart and to take one day at a time. ↑ |
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